Bumping post



Nov. 21, 1967 B. E. HAYES 3,

' BUMPI-NG POST Filed Sept. 1965 3 sneets-sheet'l IN VENTOR ATTORNEYS Nov. 21, 1967 B. E. HAYES BUMPING POST Filed Sept. 8, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR a? g \ZIQCZ'QQ .0 M Mai w A TTORNEYS v Nov. 21, 1967 B E. HAYES BUMPING POST 3 Sheets$heet Filed Sept. 8, 1965 //VVENTO/'? E/a'ce Unitcd States Patent 3,353,502 BUMPING POST Brice E. Hayes, Richmond, Ind., assignor to Hayes Track Appliance Company, Richmond, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed Sept. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 485,822 9 Claims. (Cl. 104-254) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A bumping post includes a bumper head supported above track rails by compression members and tension members extending to compression and tension track fixtures secured to the rails. A tension cross piece extends beneath the rails between the tension track fixtures and is attached to the track fixtures by bolts allowing free pivotal movement of the tension cross piece with respect to either of the tension track fixtures in a horizontal plane. A resilient member is held in compression by each bolt for urging the tension cross piece upward against the rails. The post includes three unitary sections, the first including the bumping head, compression member, compression track fixtures and compression cross piece welded together and fitting between the rails. The second includes the tension members and tension track fixtures welded together as a unit and fitting between the rails. The third section is the tension cross piece.

The present invention relates to bumping posts of the type adapted to be installed on railroad track for stopping movement of railroad cars.

Bumping posts of the type to which the invention relates serve to absorb the impact of a moving car and transmit the impact forces to the track rails and to the ties and ballast. Such bumping posts customarily include a bumper head supported upon and above the rails in position to be struck by the coupling of a moving car. Compression and tension units secure to the rails serve to support the bumper head and to transmit the impact forces from the bumper head to the rails and road bed. Furthermore, a tension cross' piece is mounted beneath the rails and is connected to the tension members for additionally transmitting forces on the tension members to the rails.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved bumping post constructed in novel fashion to reduce damage which might be caused to the bumping post by impact of a railroad car.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved bumping post including structure for assuring that the bumping post is efiective in transmitting impact forces to the rails and road bed.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved bumping post including novel means for interconnecting the tension cross piece and the tension members.

Another object is to provide a bumping post including a novel pivotal connection between the tension unit and the tension cross piece to allow the bumping post to endure severe impact without breaking.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved bumping post including novel means for holding the tension cross piece in contact with the underside of the track rails.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel bumping post including means for absorbing impact shock that otherwise might cause the failure of the tension members.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved bumping post of the type that can be easily installed on existing track without removing rails or otherwise disturbing the track.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved bumping .post constructed of preassembled portions for simplifying the shipping and installation of the bumping post on the track.

In brief, the bumping post of the present invention includes a bumper head supported above and between the track rails by compression and tension units including compression and tension members extending outwardly and downwardly to the track and terminating respectively in compression track fixtures and tension track fixtures adapted to be secured to the rails and interconnected by tension and compression cross pieces respectively.

In accordance with a feature of the invention and in order to facilitate construction, shipping and installation of the bumping posts without disturbing the track, the bumping post consists, in the main, of three principal parts adapted to be connected together and to the rails at the time of installation to form a completed structure. The first is a compression unit comprising a triangular arrangement of the bumper head, the compression members, the compression track fixtures, and a compression cross piece extending between the track fixtures, these portions being welded together to form a unitary assembly fitting between the rails. The second is a tension unit including tension members with the tension track fixtures welded thereto to form a unitary structure. The third portion consists of the tension cross piece adapted to be installed beneath rails and to be secured to the tension members. The completed structure also includes means for interconnecting the three parts and for securing the track fixtures to the track and may include track stiffening means.

Another important feature of the invention has to do with the novel manner of connecting the tension cross piece to the tension members. In order to reduce damage to the bumping post upon severe impact, the tension cross piece is connected to the tension members so that it can pivot in a horizontal plane with respect to either tension member.

In accordance with another feature of the invention, the bumping post is characterized by a construction in which the tension cross piece, which extends underneath the rails, is adjustably secured to the tension unit so as to insure its being drawn firmly and solidly against the underside of the base of the rail, whereby the forces of impact are transmitted to the rail, at least in part through the tension filler bars between the rail webs cross piece and not through the track fixtures and bolts alone.

Additionally, this securing means may include resilient means for urging the tension cross piece upwardly against the rail bases thereby to provide some resilient shock absorption. Also, this construction assures that the tension cross piece is drawn up solidly under the bases of the rail even if the bolt holes through the rail web are somewhat out of position. The resilient means also provides a take up action during use so that the cross piece is maintained against the rail bases over an extended period of time and following many stopping impacts.

In order that the bumping post may be installed upon existing track Without removing one of the rails, the bumping post is constructed so that the compression and tension units can be inserted between the rails from above and secured by track fixtures fitting between the rails and the units. Solid connection to the tracks is provided by and track fixtures.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention in the course of which reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in

which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view, partly in section, of a bumping post constructed in accordance with the present inventionand shown installed on a track;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the bumping post;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the bumping post;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 1 and illustrating the connection of the left hand tension track fixture to the tension cross piece and to the rail web; v

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary side plan view illustrating the lower end of the left part of the tension unit with its track fixture; I

FIG. 6 is an enlarged top plan view of the left hand tension track fixture shoe or plate member;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary side plan view of the lower end of the left part of the compression unit with its track fixture;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 7; and 7 FIG. 9 is a front plan view of the structure illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, with a rail shown in broken lines.

Having reference now to the drawings and initially to FIGS. 13, there is illustrated a bumping post 20 constructed in accordance with the present invention. It is shown mounted upon a railroad track including left and right rails 22 and 24 mounted upon the ties 26. The post is fixedly secured to the rails as will be described shortly so that the car stopping impacts are transmitted primarily to the rails although some of the impacts are absorbed by the ties and ballast.

The bumping post 20 includes a bumper head 28 adapted to be struck by the coupler of a moving railroad car and supported above and between the rails 24 and 26 by means of a compression unit 30 comprising downwardly and rearwardly diverging compression members 31 and 32 and by means of a unitary tension unit designated as a whole by the numeral 34 and comprising a pair of downwardly and forwardly diverging tension members 36 and 38. The bumping post 20 also includes means for applying impact force transmitted by the tension unit to the underside of the rails 24 and 26, this means comprising a tension cross piece 40 positioned beneath the track and connected to the tension unit in a novel manner to be described.

In accordance with one of the features of the present invention, the bumping post 20 is constructed so that it may be conveniently installed in track without removing a rail or otherwise disturbing the track. Furthermore, the compression unit 30, tension unit 34 and tension cross piece 40 are for-med as separate units capable of being easily handled and installed in a track. Thus, as will be described in further detail hereinafter, the compression unit 30 and the tension unit 34 can be fitted between the track and connected together and to the track, and the tension cross piece 40 is inserted beneath the track and connected to the tension unit 34.

The compression unit 30 includes the bumper head 28 connected between the compression members 31 and 32, a pair of compression track fixtures 42 and 44 and a compression cross member 46 connected between the compression track fixtures 42 and 44. These elements of the tension unit 30 are welded together in a generally triangular shape to form a unitary element of the bumping post 20. The compression track fixtures 42 and 44 are positioned so that they may he slipped between the rail heads in order that the compression unit 30 may be attached to the rails without removing a rail or without disturbing the track.

The tension unit 34 comprises a unitary arrangement of the tension members 36 and 38, and in the illustrated embodiment of the invention these tension members comprise portions of a single bar including a curved apex 48 adapted to be connected to the compression unit 30. The tension unit also includes a pair of tension track fixtures 50 and 52 welded to the tension members and positioned so that the tension unit may be slipped between 4 the rail heads to be connected to the track without disturbing the track. 7 v I p The tension cross piece 40 which comprises the finai main unit of the bumping post 20 comprises an L-shaped flanged member positioned beneath the track and extending at each end past the tension track fixtures for a dis tance beneath the rails 22 and 24; The tension cross piece may be inserted beneath the rails and connected to the tension track fixtures without disturbing the track.

Proceeding now to a more detailed description of the three main units of the bumping post 20, the compres= sion unit 30 as noted above is a generally triangular arrangement of the compression members 31 and 32 and the compression cross piece 46, these elements being connected at their ends by means of the bumper head 28 and by means of the compression track fixtures 42 and 44. The compression members 31 and 32 are formed of strong H-beams and are welded at their upper, converging ends to a plate 54 defining the rear of the bumper head 28. The bumper head additionally includes a heavy striking plate 56 adapted to the struck by the coupling of a moving car stopped by the bumping post 20.

The lower, divergent ends of the compression members 31 and 32 are connected to the compression track fixtures 42 and 44. These track fixtures, the left hand one of which is illustrated in FIGS. 7-9, include a shoe 58 to which is welded an end plate 60 secured to the ends of the compression members 31 and 32. A reinforcing, block '62 serves to strengthen the junction between the end plate 60 and the shoe 58.

Extending between the compression track fixtures 42 and 44 to complete the triangular compression unit 30 is the compression cross piece 46, which is welded to the underside of the shoes 58. It should be noted that, unlike the tension cross piece 40, the compression cross piece 46 does not extend beneath the track rails 22 and 24 (FIG. 9). Accordingly, the compression unit may be dropped from above between the track rails 22 and 24 in order to install the compression unit 30 without disturbing the track.

In order to install the bumping post 20, the compression unit 30 is first installed to the track. After being dropped into position between the rails 22 and 24, the track fixtures 42 and 44 are secured to the rail by means of fasteners 64. A solid connection between the track fixtures and the rails is assured through the use of inner filler bars 66 and outer filler bars 68. As appears in FIG. 1, the inner filler bars 66 are J-shaped, having an inwardly extending end portion 66a abutting the rear end of the shoe 58. Thus, upon impact, the inner filler bars 66 assure that the force transmitted to the rails is transmitted directly adjacent to the rail Web.

The tension unit 34 consists of the unitary element including the tension members 36 and 38 and the apex 48, as well as the tension track fixtures 50 and 52 secured to the ends of the tension members 36 and 38. The tension track fixtures, one of which is illustrated in detail in FIGS. 3-6, each include a shoe 70 provided with a recess 72 (FIG. 6) within which the ends of the tension members 36 and 38 are received and welded. In order to strength the connection between the tension members and the shoes 70, the tension track fixtures 50 and 52 additlignally include inner and outer reinforcing plates 74 and After the compression unit 30 has been fastened to the track, the tension unit 34 may be connected to the compression unit 30 and to the track. The apex portion 48 of the tension unit 34 is placed over the bumper head 28 and bolted thereto by means of a fastener 78. The tension track fixtures are secured to the track rail 22 and 24 by means of fasteners extending through the shoes 70 and through the track webbing. A solid connection is achieved by the use of inner and outer filler bars 82 and 83, the inner filler bars 82 including inwardly extending portions 82a serving the same purpose as the inward- 1y extending portions 66a of the rear inner filler bars 66.

The third and final major unitary portion of the bumping post 20 is the tension cross piece 40 which extends between and beyond the tension track fixtures 50 and 52. The tension cross piece 40 can be installed to complete the bumping post after the compression unit 30 and tension unit 34 have been mounted by merely inserting the cross piece 40 beneath the track into position and by bolting the cross piece to the horizontal portions of the shoes 70 by means of bolts 84. In order to properly position the cross piece with respect to the shoe 70, a pair of spaced positioning blocks 86 are secured to the top surface of the cross piece 40. Strengthening lugs 87 are welded beneath cross piece 40 to receive bolts 84 (FIG. 4).

From the above it can be seen that the bumping post 20 is comprised of three main portionsi.e., the compression unit 30, the tension unit 34 and the tension cross piece 40. These units may be stored and shipped in the disassembled condition in which they take up a minimum of space. Furthermore, the handling of the bumping post is facilitated since it is not finally assembled until it is installed upon the track. In addition, as has been described above, the bumping post may be installed upon the track without removal of a rail or otherwise disturbing the track in place.

In accordance with an important feature of the present invention, a novel pivotal connection is provided between the tension cross piece 40 and tension track fixtures 50 and 52 in order to prevent damage to the bumping post 20 upon severe impact. Thus, the tension cross piece 40 is connected to the shoes 70 of each of the tension track fixtures 50 and 52 by means of a single bolt 84. Upon severe impact, each bolt 84 can act as a pin about which the cross piece 40 may pivot. This construction provides a small but very important freedom of movement which prevents damage to the tension members 36 and 38 upon impact.

Upon experimentation which a device constructed in accordance with the present invention, it has been found thata very severe impact may be sustained without damage to the bumping post. In one instance, an impact sufiicient to snap the left hand rail 22 did not harm the bumping post, which was free to pivot slightly about the right hand track fixture due to the novel construction including the single bolt 84 at the right hand side. Furthermore, with the novel arrangement of the present invention, should one tension joint be completely knocked out, the other joint would not be harmed by movement of the tension cross piece since it is capable of free horizontal pivotal movement.

In accordance with another feature of the present invention, resilient means comprising a resilient lock washer 88 (FIG. 4) is placed on each bolt 84 between the shoe 70 and a nut 90. This resilient washer 88 serves several important functions in connection with the installation and efifective operation of the bumping post 20.

In past bumping posts, the location of the holes provided in the rail webbing to receive the fasteners 80 for connecting the tension track fixtures to the rails has been very critical. For effective operation of the bumping post, the tension cross piece 40 must be in firm, solid contact with the under surfaces of the rails, and if the holes for the fasteners 80 were positioned slightly above or below the proper point, this firm contact could not be obtained. In accordance with the present invention, the holes for the bumping post 20 may be positioned slightly above the critical point and a certain amount of leeway is provided, since the tension cross piece is drawn up toward the shoe 70 by means of the bolt 84 and nut 90. Accordingly, the tension cross piece 40 can always be drawn up tightly against the undersurfaces of the rails 22 and 24.

Another important function served by the resilient washers 88 is that of maintaining the tension cross piece 40 in solid contact with the under surfaces of the rail even after the bumping post has been in place for a long period of time and has been subjected to repeated impacts. In devices of the prior art, repeated impacts could tend to slightly bend the tension cross piece 40 or to loosen the connection between the tension track fixtures and the cross piece whereby the tension cross piece could become somewhat spaced from the underside of the rails. This result is highly unsatisfactory since it decreases the efii-ciency with which the impact forces are transferred to the rail. Since after installation of a bumping post constructed in accordance with the present invention, the resilient washer 88 is under compression, it urges the nut 90 in an upward direction and thus firmly holds the tension cross piece 40 up against the rails 22 and 24. Thus, even if the nut 90 becomes slightly loose after repeated impacts, the tension cross piece is still firmly held in place.

Another important function of the resilient washer 88 is to provide a shock absorbing effect upon impact. When the bumper head 28 is struck by a moving car, the forces carried by the tension members 36 and 3-8 tend to lift the tension track fixtures and cause them to pivot slightly upwardly around the rails. The resilient washers 88 allow the impact forces to be somewhat absorbed and applied more gently to the tension cross piece 40 and furthermore, they allow the shoe 70- and the tension track fixtures and 52 to pivot upwardly to a slight degree upon impact.

The bumping post 20, if desired, may be used with track stifiening means including a pair of inner rails 92 and 94 extending a substantial distance along the track and resting upon the ties 26. In order to properly position the inner rails 92 and 94, the compression cross piece 46 is provided with hook members 96 for enclosing the bases of the inner rails 92 and 94.

While the present invention has been described in connection with the details of an illustrative embodiment, these details are not intended to be limitative of the invention except insofar as set forth in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is: I

1. In a bumping post for installation on the spaced rails of a track, the combination of a bumper head positioned above the track to be struck by a moving car, compression means extending between said bumper head and the rails for transmitting compressive forces to the track upon impact, tension means extending between said bumper head and each of the rails for transmitting tension forces to the track upon impact, a tension cross piece extending beneath the track below said tension means, and means pivotally connecting said tension cross piece and said tension means adjacent each rail for horizontal pivotal movement of said tension cross piece relative to said connecting means.

2. In a bumping post for installation on the spaced rails of a track, the combination of a bumper head positioned above the track to be struck by a moving car, first and second tension members diverging outwardly and downwardly from the bumper head to the rails, first and second tension track fixtures for connecting said tension members to the rails and for transmitting impact forces to the track, a tension cross piece extending under the rails below said tension track fixtures, and first and second means pivotally connecting said tension cross piece respectively to said firs-t and second tension track fixtures whereby said tension cross piece is permitted to pivot horizontally with respect to either of said tension track fixtures upon a severe impact, each of said first and second connecting means comprising a single bolt extending along a straight line through the tension cross piece and through the respective tension track fixture to act as a pivot pin in the event of horizontal pivotal movement of the tension cross piece.

3. In a bumping post for installation on the spaced rails of a track, the combination of a bumper head positioned above the track to be struck by a moving car, first and second tension members diverging outwardly and downwardly from the bumper head to the rails, first and second tension track fixtures for connecting said tension members to the rails and for transmitting impact forces to the track, a tension cross piece extending under the rails below said tension track fixtures, and first and second bolts respectively connecting said tension cross piece to said first and second tension track fixtures whereby said tension cross piece is permitted to pivot horizontally with respect to said tension track fixtures upon a severe impact.

4. In a bumping post for installation on track, the combination of a bumper head positioned above the track to be struck by a moving car, tension means extending between said bumper head and the track for transmitting tension forces to the track upon impact, a tension cross piece extending beneath the track below the said tension means, and means connecting said tension cross piece and said tension means, said connecting means including resilient means urging said tension cross piece against the underside of the track.

5. In a bumping post for installation on track, the combination of a bumper head position above the track to be struck by a moving car, first and second tension members diverging outwardly and downwardly from the bumper head to the rails, first and second tension track fixtures for connecting said tension members to the rails and for transmitting impact forces to the track, a tension cross piece extending under the rails below said tension track fixtures, first and second fasteners respectively connecting said tension cross piece to said first and second tension track fixtures, and resilient means held in a deformed condition by said fasteners for urging said tension cross piece against the underside of said rails.

6. In a bumping post for installation on track, the combination of a bumper head positioned above the track to be struck by a moving car, first and second tension members diverging outwardly and downwardly from the bumper head to the rails, first and second tension track fixtures for connecting said tension members to the rails and for transmitting impact forces to the track, a tension cross piece extending under the rails below said tension track fixtures, first and second bolts respectively connecting said tension cross piece to said first and second tension track fixtures, and resilient means held in a deformed condition by said bolts for urging said tension cross piece against said rails, said resilient means being arranged to further deform upon impact thereby to absorb impact shock.

7. In a bumping post for installation on track, the combination of a bumper head positioned above the track to be struck by a moving car, first and second tension members diverging outwardly and downwardly from the bumper head to the rails, first and second tension track fixtures for connecting said tension members to the rails and for transmitting impact forces to the track, a tension cross piece extending between and under the rails and 0 under said tension track fixtures, first and second fasteners extending through said tension cross piece and through said first and second tension track fixtures respectively, and first and second resilient lock washers held in compression by said fasteners for urging together said tension cross piece and said tension track fixtures whereby said tension cross piece is maintained firmly against said rails, and whereby said tension cross piece may pivot upon impact in a horizontal plane about said fasteners without damaging the bumping post.

8. In a bumping post for installation on track including first and second rails, the combination of a first unitary portion including a bumper head for receiving impact and including compression means extending from said bumper head to said rails, a second unitary portion adapted to be connected to said first portion adjacent said bumper head an including tension means extending between said bumper head and said rails, a third unitary portion comprising a tension cross piece positioned beneath said track, and means connecting said second portion and said third portion for horizontal pivotal movement of said tension cross piece about said connecting means upon impact.

9. A bumping post for installation upon track having rails in place, said bumping post comprising a first unitary portion of triangular shape including a bumper head at a first apex, compression track fixtures at second and third apices, a compression cross piece permanently attached between said compression track fixtures, and compression members permanently attached between said bumper head and said compression track fixtures, said compression track fixtures being arranged to fit between the heads of the rails, a second unitary portion including tension members generally in the shape of a V and detachably connected to said bumper head at the apex of the V and including tension track fixtures permanently attached to the tension members at the ends of the V, said tension track fixtures being arranged to fit between the heads of the rails, connecting means including filler bars for securing said compression and said tension track fixtures to the webs of the rails to support said bumper head above the rails, a third unitary portion including a tension cross piece adapted to be installed beneath and extending between the rails, and means for releasably connecting said tension track fixtures to said tension cross piece.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,348,223 8/1920 Keebler 104254 1,629,124 5/1927 Schultz 104254 1,659,363 2/1928 Jaspersen 104--254 1,746,007 2/1930 Miller 104254 1,815,917 7/1931 Keebler 104-254 1,910,990 5/1933 Hayes 104-254 ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

D. E. WORTH, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A BUMPING POST FOR INSTALLATION ON THE SPACED RAILS OF A TRACK, THE COMBINATION OF A BUMPER HEAD POSITIONED ABOVE THE TRACK TO BE STRUCK BY A MOVING CAR, COMPRESSION MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID BUMPER HEAD AND THE RAILS FOR TRANSMITTING COMPRESSIVE FORCES TO THE TRACK UPON IMPACT, TENSION MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID BUMBPER HEAD AND EACH OF THE RAILS FOR TRANSMITTING TENSION FORCES TO THE TRACK UPON IMPACT, A TENSION CROSS PIECE EXTENDING BENEATH THE TRACK BELOW SAID TENSION MEANS, AND MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING SAID TENSION CROSS PIECE AND SAID TENSION MEANS ADJACENT EACH RAIL FOR HORIZONTAL PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID TENSION CROSS PIECE RELATIVE TO SAID CONNECTING MEANS. 